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Prosecutors indict three in Core Pacific Mall fire

Taipei Prosecutor Wu Chun-li (吳春麗) yesterday finished his investigation and indicted the three suspects in the Feb. 18 arson case at Core Pacific City Mall (京華城) for violating public safety.

Wu's indictment said that Lin Chang-cheng (林長成), Wang Lin-kwun (王林坤) and Lin Ching-chi (林清吉) violated Article 173 of the Criminal Code (刑法), which stipulates that a person who commits an intentional act of arson could be imprisoned for up to seven years.

Prosecutors suggested a sentence of four years and six months for Lin Chang-cheng; three years and six months each for Wang and Lin Ching-chi.

Lin Chang-cheng is a manager at the mall.

Wang is a close friend of Lin's and also owns a shop selling Chinese teapots on the mall's seventh floor. Lin Ching-chi is Wang's uncle.

According to the indictment, Lin Chang-cheng was upset about Core Pacific Group Chairman Shen Ching-ching's (沈慶京) management policies.

He allegedly lured Wang to join the arson plan with NT$100,000. The indictment says they planned to destroy the mall's power system by means of a fire during business hours.

To avoid being tracked down by the police directly, Wang allegedly invited his uncle Lin Ching-chi, who does not have any relationship with the mall, to set off the fire.

The indictment said that Lin Ching-chi was the only one of the three who filled empty mineral-water bottles with gas and lit them on fire in the electricity room on the third floor of the mall.

The indictment says Lin Chang-cheng was the mastermind and Wang was aiding the crime.

An key piece of evidence leading investigators to the three suspects was a specific brand of mineral water that Wang frequently bought and which is only available at the local Makro (萬客隆) wholesale market.

In the meantime, Taipei District Prosecutors' Office (台北地檢署) Spokesman Chen Hung-ta (陳宏達) said that investigators did not find any other suspects.

"According to our evidence and investigation, we believe that they are the only three suspects in the case," said Chen.

"To get revenge for his personal problems at work, Lin Chang-cheng ignored public safety and planned the arson attempt. So we decided to recommend a sentence of four years and six months for him. After they were arrested, Lin Ching-chi and Wang both regret what they have done, so we suggested sentences of three years and six months for both of them."
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